Kenlea and Ben

Kate and Jeremy

Laine and Rob

Blake and Ryan

Abigail and Michael

Courtney and Chris

Kacie and Dave

Olivia and Isham

Erin and Jason

Sky and Nathan

Cameron and Mikey

Casey and Alan

Stephanie and Richard

23

Maggie and Greg

13

Katherine and Jeff

23

Emily and Colby

22

Jeni and Justin

20

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A Vintage Outdoor Wedding in North Carolina

Photography: Alan Friedman

Jeni and Justin

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Jeni, who works in children's ministry, met Justin, an accountant, in 2006, months after becoming a widow. They took their time getting to know each other and eventually their friendship became much more. On a trip to a private North Carolina estate two hours north of their home near Atlanta he asked Jeni to marry him. Then, with close friends and family on hand, he popped the question to Emma, Jeni's daughter, too. In the late afternoon on September 10, 2011, the pair wed in a heartfelt ceremony on those very same grounds.

Photography: Alan Friedman

The Location

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The couple rented Hawkesdene House for the wedding weekend. Its rustic location in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains provided the perfect setting for guests and family members to hike, play horseshoes, watch football, and dine alfresco in the days leading up to the nuptials.

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Photography: Alan Friedman

The Stationery

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The bride's matron of honor, Tori Cole, put her skills as a graphic designer to good use, and helped create the invitation suite. Printed on Paper-Source stock, it began with a save-the-date featuring a paint-by-number picture of the wedding location. Each additional component played off that crafty concept. The suite was bound together with grosgrain ribbon and a tag bearing a custom heart-shaped monogram of Jeni, Justin, and Emma’s initials.

The Stationery

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The pair printed their favorite Bible passage, "Love never fails," onto the response cards --and even used the phrase as the color key, for their paint-by-numbers keepsake that guests colored in later at the reception.

The Bridal Party

Jeni's six bridesmaids wore various gray dresses of their choosing and carried small bouquets of pastel blooms.

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Photography: Alan Friedman

A Furry Friend

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The couple's pug, aptly named Handsome, sported a navy bow tie. He escorted Emma down the aisle, then spent the rest of ceremony lying on the bride’s train.

Photography: Alan Friedman

Fitting Furniture

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"For sentimental and practical reasons, I wanted to incorporate family pieces into the decor," Jeni says. Here, a vintage dressing table serves as a directional sign and holds fans for guests to use during the ceremony.

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Photography: Alan Friedman

The Entrance

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The bride's father escorted her down the aisle while 100 guests watched on from fruitwood chairs set up on the lawn.

Photography: Alan Friedman

The Ceremony

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The couple stood in front of an altar made from a vintage dresser belonging to Jeni's late husband. It was topped with a cross of reclaimed barn wood and a floral arrangement in a pewter vase.

Family members and friends read passages from the Bible -- including 1 Corinthians 13, which cites "love never fails." The phrase holds special meaning for Jeni, who says she feels incredibly lucky to have found lasting love a second time.

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Photography: Alan Friedman

The Ceremony

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After exchanging their self-penned vows, the duo turned to Emma who surprised them with vows of her own. Then, each one of them sprinkled soil and water over a potted rose tree. It symbolized their unity as a family, and it’s now planted in their backyard.

At the end of the service, Justin and Jeni gave Emma a necklace and a heart-shaped pendant etched with their fingerprints.

Photography: Alan Friedman

Picture Perfect

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After the ceremony, the newlyweds took portraits around the grounds of Hawkesdene House with photographer Alan Friedman.

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Photography: Alan Friedman

The Seating Display

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Vintage mirrors doubled as seating charts for the adults; Emma’s dressing table directed the young guests to the kids’ table.

An Artistic Touch

Continuing in the same vein as the invitation suite, a paint-by-numbers poster was set out for guests to embellish. It now hangs in the stairwell of the couple’s home.

Photography: Alan Friedman

The First Dance

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The newlyweds took to the floor to Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am" as performed by the band Paris Luna.

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Photography: Alan Friedman

A Sweet Treat

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Guests were offered a variety of desserts from Gabriel's (a bakery near the couple's hometown in Georgia): brownies; fruit tartlets, mini cupcakes, including lemon and fudge-and-peanut-butter; and chocolate truffles. A trio of cakes -- fudge with vanilla buttercream, carrot with cream cheese frosting, and white cake with strawberry filling and buttercream icing -- decorated with fresh flowers were also served. One confection even boasted an antique topper first used at the bride’s great-grandmother's wedding in 1915.